Cliffs and Ramp

At the saddle between Full House Peak and Thomas Peak, you face a menacing-looking ridge full of cliffs and gendarmes. Instead of trying to find a way up that, stay to the east and head up a ramp. When the terrain on your west side gets a little friendlier, you can hike northeast to a broad ridge east of Thomas or opt for a more direct scrambling approach by working up and north. That second way is fun Class 3 (harder if you want it-- I found a nice little Class 4 chimney that had a small overhang to deal with as well) and takes you to some interesting subsidiary summits before getting you to the true summit of Thomas. Those subsidiary summits are smaller and more challenging to climb than the main summit, so they are definitely worth the visit. Ruby Mountains, NV-- August 2012